An Oasis in the City

Loke Thye Kee Residences

Loke Thye Kee Residences is an exclusive boutique hotel situated in the heart of Georgetown Penang, one of 5 Malaysian UNESCO world sites rich in heritage. The property's design draws inspiration from this heritage and specifically the historic Loke Thye Kee restaurant, its 100-year-old namesake and neighbour. Harking back to the romance of the early 1900’s, Loke Thye Kee Residences recalls the spirit of a bygone era but adds its own contemporary twist to modernize the living experience. Designed amidst the footprint of the traditional shophouse courtyard and alleyway, each of the 5 suites is preluded by a lush garden forecourt and an intimate private balcony.

“We believe in “Living Heritage”, and as such, we focus on developing projects that are not just frozen in time, but can offer a glimpse into the past and still continue to build on the heritage of today and tomorrow”, said Mr Jonathan Foo, CEO and President of 1919 Global Sdn. Bhd. To capture this vision, the developers engaged Singapore-based Ministry of Design as Design Architects for the project. The design team is headed by MOD Director Colin Seah. “MOD has a fantastic track record in designing new life into traditional old buildings, yet maintaining it heritage integrity. We believe that the team will help in our vision to revive this section of Georgetown”, said Mr Foo.

The suites are furnished with soaring pitch roofs and all suites are well appointed with living areas and full facility pantry spaces. The traditional meets the contemporary on several levels, traditional timber hardwood floors are contrasted with customized contemporary fixtures that are designed to appear as if levitating. The rough texture of the original brick walls are visually enlivened by hidden LED cove lighting and the typically enclosed vanity and wardrobe spaces are celebrated as transparent glass boxes which seamlessly extend into the rest of the room. MOD also designed all the branding and in-room collateral in order to provide a holistic experience, ranging from a quirky pillow menu, to a food map navigating the area’s street food, the room service menu, TV menu etc. To bring an additional local element into the apartments, local Penang artist Ch’ng Kiah Kiean was commissioned to produce a series of 9 special pieces that captures the unique faces of some of Penang’s best know heritage buildings. The original art pieces are displayed prominently in each suite.

Loke Thye Kee Residences will be launching an additional 3 Courtyard Suites in the fourth quarter of 2017.

This project has been featured in numerous travel and design publications including Wallpaper’s Travel Lifestyle Showcase, and in Net-a-Porter’s Luxe Edit profile